The Eulogy
by Winter's Melancholy
Summary: Ruka Nogi, on the woman he held dearest, even in death. Sequel to Cinderella. Headcanon.


AoGA House Cup. (Words: 730.)

You walk up to the coffin, your features set grimly.

Giving yourself a small chance to peer into the dreaded wooden box, you see her at rest.

She is beautiful, and looks as if almost asleep.

You reach out to touch her, but you realize that it would be inappropriate.

She is dressed in a little black dress, and you cannot help but smile slightly to yourself at the thought.

Appropriate for any situation, the essential backbone of any woman's wardrobe.

You think it fitting that she is dressed in such a piece of clothing, as it suits her personality completely.

After having paid your respects to her, you move to take your seat, as the funeral service begins.

"_We are here to commemorate the death of our fellow student, Hotaru Imai-"_

You flinch at the name. In the days that had passed since you had promised to accompany her until her final moments, that very name had taken on an ethereal quality.

You had undoubtedly fallen for her, and she had broken your heart with her death.

You had promised to stay strong for her, and you were now paying the price, suffering a pain so immeasurable you were not sure you could describe in words.

Controlling your tears, you watch as the priest begins the service with a prayer, and then waves his arms in a ritualistic fashion around the coffin, as a burial rite.

With the formalities out of the way, the priest closes his Bible, and looks to the audience.

At that moment, the priest announces for you to rise.

"_Ruka Nogi, her friend, has been asked by the deceased to eulogize her. May we invite Ruka Nogi up to honour the loss of our fallen friend, please?"_

You rise, and your consciousness seems to be barely attached to your body as you approach the rostrum, prepared to make your speech.

It had come as a surprise to you, her asking you to honour her life, as you had expected the right to be bestowed on Mikan, she being her best friend.

Nevertheless, you took it upon yourself to write a speech about your lost love.

You open your mouth, and your breath hitches.

You turn back to the audience, this time with a grim smile on your face.

You begin.

"Hello, everyone.

I have no idea why Hotaru bestowed me with the honour of eulogizing her, rather than Mikan, but I shall try my best to do her final will justice."

You sneak a glance at the crowd, and see a sobbing Mikan in the arms of Natsume. A pang of loss hits you at that moment, as you wish that someone would come and give you comfort as well.

'_Hotaru,' _your mind screams.

You breathe in, and simply continue, ignoring the voice in your head.

"We are gathered here to honour the loss of our dear friend, Hotaru Imai. Known to us most as the eccentric inventor girl, not many know who she truly is, and so, I shall give you a rough image of her personality, as one of her good friends.

Yes, under that blackmailing, cold, stoic, and calculative façade of hers, who was Hotaru Imai, truly?

To me, she was a woman with a heart of gold, and a passionate and loyal friend.

She sacrificed everything to bring back the lost love of her best friend, and so, we can only see that, in hindsight, she was a selfless and pure individual right to the very end.

For those who have misunderstood her, I hope you have managed to see her in a better light in the aftermath of these tragic events."

At this point, you can control yourself no more, and a single tear escapes.

"I may be young and foolish, but I am sure I have never met a single person braver than her in all my life."

The conviction in your voice leads the audience to look at you, awe in their faces.

"We are here to honour the fallen, and I believe that Hotaru deserves this honour completely."

You sigh once, lightly, and look down.

"I should stop here, for I fear that if I continue, I will still be unable to do her any more justice than the words that I have already spoken."

A final, piercing gaze at the audience, and you close your eyes.

"To Hotaru Imai. Friend. Protector. Human."


End file.
